Trucking News · Nationwide · October 30, 2026

Amazon's Shipping Costs Rose 11% in the Third Quarter on Fuel and Linehaul Rates, With No Word on What Truckers Got

By Big Rig Daily Staff

Amazon says moving its packages cost 11% more in the third quarter, and it blames fuel and higher truck linehaul rates. FreightWaves reported on Oct. 29 that the company's shipping costs grew by 11%, compared with 12% growth in units, as the online retailer navigated freight inflation.

What Amazon said

"The team navigated higher transportation costs from fuel inflation and higher line haul rates," Chief Financial Officer Brian Olsavsky said on the company's earnings call, according to FreightWaves. Excluding fuel and linehaul, shipping costs rose 8% in the quarter.

Amazon also said a fuel surcharge it applies to sellers using Fulfillment by Amazon does not fully offset the added costs. CEO Andy Jassy said the fuel and linehaul impact in the fourth quarter would be somewhat higher than in the third.

The bigger numbers

Amazon reported third quarter revenue of $201.9 billion, up 12%. Operating income was $28.1 billion, up 61%. The company's operating margin was 13.9%, which FreightWaves said was the highest ever.

Amazon also said it has more than 1 million robots in its network and has delivered more than 1.5 billion items same day or overnight.

Why truckers might care

Linehaul is the long haul trucking that moves freight between facilities, and Amazon named higher linehaul rates as a cost pressure. That fits with reports Big Rig Daily has covered about tighter truck capacity and diesel prices.

What the report does not say

The Amazon figures are company reported. FreightWaves' report, as relayed here, did not say how much of the added linehaul cost went to carriers or truckers. Big Rig Daily is not drawing a conclusion about trucker pay from these numbers.

Quick facts

• Shipping costs: up 11% in the third quarter, against 12% unit growth.
• Excluding fuel and linehaul: up 8%.
• Revenue: $201.9 billion, up 12%.
• Operating income: $28.1 billion, up 61%, with a record 13.9% operating margin.
• Outlook: the fuel and linehaul impact in the fourth quarter is expected to be somewhat higher.

Big Rig Daily has also covered a freight index showing record holiday delivery prices and what shippers are paying in the latest U.S. Bank index.

A question for readers

If you haul for a big retailer, have you seen more freight or higher rates this quarter?

Save this story for later

Save this to Pinterest